Plant-Based/Whole Foods Diet & Weight Loss

So as most of you know, towards the end of September, Bill and I decided to embrace a new dietary plan. We were convinced by the science in the documentary Forks Over Knives. Bill was doing this for medical reasons and weight loss. I had been trying to lose weight for a couple of years now with no success. I am now post-menopausal so over the last few years my metabolism seems to have come to a halt. I have never had a weight problem, but all of a sudden I had twenty pounds on me that had never been there before, and nothing I did would make more than a 2 pound budge after months of effort. I was amazed at our friend's enormous weight loss and wanted that for myself. Now, as we all know, men seem to shed the pounds pretty quickly, once they decide to cut back, so I wasn't too upset watching the fat melt off of Bill - 20 pounds of it, but my weight-loss was moving at a snail's pace. I was losing faith, but Bill and my friends encouraged me that eventually it would come, and I am happy to report that this morning I finally reached my first goal. It took almost five months to do it but it's here and I will keep persevering! 

Another side-effect of menopause is the lovely thickening of the waist line - or what used to be my waistline. I always had a tush and thighs, even at 100 lbs, but now I have this lovely pudge around my middle. While watching the morning news magazine shows, after the Super Bowl, the ad with the guy with the 10 pack abs was on and said his amazing abs were all due to doing the plank position. So I started doing plank several times a day and timing myself. I could not even do an entire minute when I started but now, I can do over a minute. In just a couple of days I have already noticed the difference!

We have been having a lot of fun with our meals; getting creative and experimental. I have never eaten the foods that I am eating now - I amaze myself everyday. But every single thing I put in my mouth is good for me - even that little piece of dark chocolate every now and then! We don't count calories, we eat all day long and don't have any labels like "breakfast, lunch or dinner." Bill has been learning to cook curries, much to my delight. It took him a couple of months of watching me cook before he got the inspiration and now I can't get him out of the kitchen (not that I want to!!). He's making soups and chilis and it's a lot of fun. Our meals have become our entertainment, especially now that we're in Cedar Key.

Anyway, just wanted to share my excitement!